Author: cia

McSorley’s Old Ale House

15 East 7th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues
212/473-9148
about $60 for two, with several drinks, with tip

The oldest bar in New York City still has a place in lower east side’s hip surroundings. They didn’t start letting women in until the 70s but it’s been around since 1857. People who go to McSorley’s know they only have two choices of beer–McSorley’s Light and McSorley’s Dark–and they are served in pairs because their mugs are a wee bit smaller than a pint. $8 for four mugs is a good way to start your night with their burger and fries.

You should still try to avoid peeking inside the men’s bathroom unless you want to see someone using the urinal and don’t expect the waiters to chat; they’re only there to ask you “Light or dark?”

Yakitori Taisho

5 St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenues
212/228-5086
about $50 for two, with two drinks, with tip

Yakitori Taisho has been around ever since I was allowed to take the subway from Washington Heights and walk around Greenwich Village without a chaperone. It’s dingy, smoke-filled and smoke-stained but their grilled skewers, yakitori, are still the best on St. Mark’s Place.

I love coming here for a late night dinner and ordering the beef tongue, beef stomach and the smelt yakitoris with a bottle of beer to wash all of them down. During winter visits, I go for the ramen or the tofu and udon soup bowl. Whichever time you choose to visit, expect to wait. The place hasn’t changed much since I was in high school. The cool Japanese kids who used to come here have just been replaced by other cool Japanese kids.

Curried Chicken Satay with Lemon Juice

Adapted from Wolfgang Puck

Ingredients:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 tsps curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
2 tbsps peanut oil
fresh lemon juice
a pinch of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
olive oil, salt and pepper

1. To prepare the marinade, in a small bowl combine the spices. Spoon the oil over the chicken, turning to coat them evenly, and then evenly sprinkle the dry ingredients over them on both sides.
2. In a deep skillet, heat olive oil. Fry the chicken in medium heat until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Sprinkle with lemon juice and cilantro before serving.

Winter Vegetable Curry

Adapted from the Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients:
3 tbsps ginger and garlic paste, created using a mortar and pestle
3 tbsps unsalted butter
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 tsps curry powder
1 tomato, roughly chopped
1 cup whole milk yogurt
1 medium-sized turnip, peeled and quartered
1 medium-sized carrot, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch wedges
1 small zucchini, cut into 2-inch-long rounds
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
a handful of snap peas
1 small box of raisins
2 dried red chiles, torn into pieces
a handful of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
salt and pepper

1. Heat the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sauté onion. Add the cinnamon, chiles, garlic-ginger paste and curry powder. Cook while stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato and yogurt and cook while stirring, until they separate from the oil, about 7 minutes. Continue to cook and stir for about 1 minute more.
2. Add the water, salt and hard vegetables and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the chickpeas, zucchini and raisins, bring to a boil, and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender and the liquid thickens, about 5 minutes more. Season the curry with salt and pepper, to taste, and cilantro.

Blue Ribbon Sushi

119 Sullivan Street between Prince and Spring
212/343-0404
about $125 for two, with two drinks, without tip

Every time I go to Blue Ribbon Sushi, I’m always surprised at how low the sushi prices are. For Japanese sushi (listen up, Tomoe fans!) the choices are always fresh and of high quality.

Their uni, fluke, yellowtail and toro, whether sushi or sashimi, are consistently buttery. The ankimono, monkfish liver, is also a favorite of mine. I like their tatakis and I alternately order from tuna belly to salmon to yellowtail tartare when I visit.